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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

State Flex Program Staff Sustainability Guide and Toolkit
A guide for state Flex Programs to help recruit good Flex Program staff, train them successfully, retain staff longer, and plan an orderly process of finding and training new staff before the outgoing staff leave. Presents a Staff Sustainability Cycle, a process for improving the retention of high-performing Flex Program staff, and outlines specific strategies and practical tools for addressing each component of the cycle.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Experience in the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model: Barnes-Kasson County Hospital
Profiles Barnes-Kasson County Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital with three hospital-based Rural Health Clinics and a skilled nursing facility in Pennsylvania. Discusses the CAH's experience participating in the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM). Describes the Barnes-Kasson transformation plan, challenges of the global budget model, peer learning and networking opportunities, and next steps.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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What Happens When a Hospital Closes?
Podcast episode discussing the impact of rural hospital closures and obstetrics units on their communities. Explores why facilities and units close and the impact of closures on mortality, prenatal care, maternal and infant health outcomes, and access to quality care.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Freakonomics
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Changes in the Provision of Health Care Services by Rural Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System Hospitals in 2009 compared to 2017
Findings brief exploring changes in the availability and provision of different health care services among rural Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System hospitals from 2009 to 2017, using data from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database. Features statistics with breakdowns by types of services offered, type of hospital, and percentage-point change from 2009 to 2017.
Author(s): Randall John, Kathleen Knocke, Sharita Thomas, et al.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Public Health Preparedness: COVID-19 Medical Surge Experiences and Related HHS Efforts
Discusses the medical surge challenges of eight hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how healthcare coalitions have supported the hospitals' efforts. Identifies challenges related to staffing, supplies, space, and information, as well as challenges unique to rural hospitals. Describes Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) programs and activities to support medical surge readiness.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Preparing for and Rebuilding from a Natural Disaster in Graves County, KY
Case study discussing how Jackson Purchase Medical Center (JPMC) and the West Kentucky Healthcare Coalition (WKYHCC) implemented an emergency response plan in the aftermath of a December 2021 tornado. Discusses the regional emergency preparedness plan and its effectiveness, as well as JPMC's expansion of employee assistance and behavioral health services to meet community needs.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Improving Access and Quality of Maternal and Infant Services in Rural Iowa through a Regional Center of Excellence
Profiles St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa, which serves six counties in west central Iowa. Discusses the hospital's efforts to improve maternal health and birth outcomes, including improving care coordination, increasing access to support and behavioral health services, and promoting better access to care in the region.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Environmental Scan on Consolidation Trends and Impacts in Health Care Markets
Summarizes results of an environmental scan and describes the landscape of healthcare market consolidation across the United States. Analyzes the evidence on consolidation trends and the impacts of these trends on price, quality, and access in healthcare provider and insurance markets. Includes information on the impacts of hospital consolidation on rural healthcare quality and patient access.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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2022 Key Rural Measures: An Updated List of Measures to Advance Rural Health Priorities
Report updating a list of key rural measures focused on rural access to care originally outlined in A Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures and Measuring and Improving Access to Care: 2018 Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Workgroup. Identifies 17 measures to add to the 2018 list of rural measures, including items related to behavioral and mental health, substance use, infectious disease, access to care, and equity and social determinants of health. Discusses remaining gaps in measurement topic areas.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Staffing Hurdles Chip Away at Access to Care
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural hospital leaders between March 2-April 15, 2022. Explores how rural hospitals are navigating COVID-19 vaccination mandates and the continued impact of nurse staffing shortages on the delivery of care. Discusses drivers of nurse turnover at rural hospitals.
Author(s): Michael Topchik, Troy Brown, Melanie Pinette, Billy Balfour
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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